A Hutch Is a Rabbit Cage and a Kitchen Cupboard
A hutch is a box for keeping small animals. In American usage it also names a dresser with open shelves above.
A hutch is a box or pen for keeping small animals, especially rabbits. In American English it also names a piece of furniture: a cabinet with open shelves above a closed base, what the British would call a dresser or a Welsh dresser. Both senses come from the same French word for a chest. Rabbit welfare guidance now stresses that a hutch alone is not enough housing, since rabbits need room to run and stand upright.
- An animal pen. *A rabbit hutch.*
- A dresser (American). *A kitchen hutch.*
- A chest. *An oak hutch.*
- Dresser — the British equivalent. *A Welsh dresser.*
- French — *huche*, a chest. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hutch | A rabbit hutch. |
| Plural | hutches | Two hutches. |
| US sense | hutch | A kitchen hutch. |
| UK equivalent | dresser | A dresser. |
| French | huche | A chest. |
- The rabbits need a bigger hutch.Animals.
- The china is displayed on the hutch.American furniture.
- Huche meant a chest in French.Etymology.
Rabbit housing in practice
- A hutch alone is not enough under modern welfare guidance
- Rabbits need to stand upright without their ears touching the roof
- Three hops in a straight line is a common minimum for length
- An attached run is considered essential
- Rabbits are social, so keeping one alone is discouraged
Old French *huche*, a chest or bin, from Medieval Latin *hutica*, of uncertain origin.
What is a hutch in American furniture?
A cabinet with open shelves above a closed base, used for displaying china. Britain calls it a dresser.
Is a hutch enough for a rabbit?
Modern welfare guidance says no. Rabbits need an attached run, room to stand upright and company.